[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 208 (Thursday, October 28, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66357-66358]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-27247]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
RIN 0648-XA007
New England Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of public meeting.
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SUMMARY: The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold
a three-day meeting on Tuesday through Thursday, November 16-18, 2010
to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive
economic zone (EEZ).
DATES: The meeting will be held on Tuesday, November 16, Wednesday,
November 17 and Thursday, November 18, 2010 starting at 8:30 a.m. each
day.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Ocean Edge Resort, 2907 Main
Street, Brewster, MA 02631-1946; telephone: (508) 896-9000; fax: (508)
896-9123. Requests for special accommodations should be addressed to
the New England Fishery Management Council, 50 Water Street, Mill 2,
Newburyport, MA 01950; telephone: (978) 465-0492.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul J. Howard, Executive Director,
New England Fishery Management Council; telephone: (978) 465-0492.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Following introductions and any announcements, the Council will
hold a closed session to allow Council members to comment on 2011-13
nominees to its Scientific and Statistical Committee. Following this
agenda item, the Council will receive brief reports from the Council
Chairman and Executive Director, the NOAA Fisheries Regional
Administrator, Northeast Region, Northeast Fisheries Science Center and
Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council liaisons, NOAA General Counsel,
representatives of the U.S. Coast Guard and the Atlantic States Marine
Fisheries Commission, as well as NOAA Enforcement and the Chairman of
the Research Steering Committee. There will be a review of any
experimental fishery permit applications that have been received since
the last Council meeting, and an open public comment period. This time
is scheduled for any interested party who may wish to provide brief
comments on issues relevant to Council business but not otherwise
listed on the meeting agenda. Prior to a break the Council will discuss
and approve management priorities for 2011-12. The afternoon session
will begin with a report from the Scientific and Statistical Committee
(SSC). It will include an overview of the committee=s 2011 schedule,
approval of an acceptable biological catch (ABC) recommendation for
Gulf of Maine winter flounder as well as the NEFMC=s five-year Council
research recommendations, a summary of the committee=s ongoing
discussion of ABC control rules, and a comprehensive overview of the
SSC=s white paper on Ecosystem-based Fisheries Management. NMFS Deputy
Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs Sam Rauch will discuss
coastal and marine spatial planning with the Council and the day will
end with an Enforcement Committee report concerning recommendations for
standardized fixed gear marking in the EEZ. The Council is not likely
to take further action on these proposals until it consults with
partner fishery management organizations and conducts a more public
process to solicit further review and comment.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Throughout most of the day, the Council will discuss and take final
action on Framework Adjustment 22 to the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery
Management Plan. The primary purpose of the action is to set fishery
specifications for the 2011-12 fishing years. Also included are
measures to minimize the risk sea scallop gear/incidental encounters
with sea turtles. Additionally, the Council will review and finalize
scallop research recommendations that will apply to the fishery
management plan's research set-aside program and approve measures that
will affect the general category scallop fishery. During this report,
the Council will discuss the yellowtail flounder sub annual catch limit
that will be allocated to the scallop fleet through Framework
Adjustment 45 to the Northeast Multispecies FMP. Before adjournment for
the day, Council members will consider a change to its skate management
measures based on a re-analysis of skate discards provided by the Skate
Plan Development Team.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
The final day of the meeting will begin with initial action on
Framework Adjustment 7 to the Monkfish Fishery Management Plan.
Management measures will address revisions to the biomass reference
points, as well as a revised ABC and a Northern Management Area annual
catch target (ACT). In view of the new ACT, a range of new management
alternatives also will be considered. Finally, the monkfish discussion
will include a summary of the development of Amendment 6 to the FMP,
which will center on a catch share program for the monkfish fishery.
The remainder of the day will be spent on multipsecies groundfish
management-related issues. This will involve final action on Framework
Adjustment 45 to the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan
(FMP). The major measures under consideration are: Possible adjustments
to the yellowtail flounder sub annual catch limit as a result of action
taken in Framework 22 to the Scallop FMP; modifications to the Georges
Bank yellowtail flounder rebuilding strategy and accordingly, the ABC;
alternatives for revised status determination criteria and adjustments
to the ABCs for pollock and Gulf of Maine winter flounder; total
allowable catches for stocks harvested in the U.S./Canada area for
2011; changes to the at-sea and dockside monitoring provisions in the
FMP; elimination of the Great South Channel yellowtail flounder
spawning closures for the general category scallop vessels; protection
for spawning cod in an area off the New Hampshire coast; and
authorization for additional sectors. The Council also will discuss the
issue of state-operated permit banks.
Although other non-emergency issues not contained in this agenda
may come before this Council for discussion, those issues may not be
the subjects of formal action during this meeting. Council action will
be restricted to those issues specifically listed in this notice and
any issues arising after publication of this notice that require
emergency action under section 305(c) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act,
provided that the public has been notified of the Council's intent
[[Page 66358]]
to take final action to address the emergency.
Special Accommodations
This meeting is physically accessible to people with disabilities.
Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids
should be directed to Paul J. Howard (see ADDRESSES) at least 5 days
prior to the meeting date.
Dated: October 25, 2010.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2010-27247 Filed 10-27-10; 8:45 am]
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